COVID-19 update

COVID-19 update

COVID-19 update Uganda- When the outbreak started and still kept at a distance, a couple of weeks back, we did not imagine that the world would change to an almost unrecognisable degree a few weeks later. Being in the international travel business, we acted steadfast in response to the local governments’ recommendations against non-essential travels. We all decided to keep home as soon as our active trips ended.

We anticipated that the world would contain the situation shortly, alas, we were no geniuses to get it right! The whole world is affected, in all industries and all walks of life. I am most grateful that the last three tours we did before the situation worsened in Europe were terrific experiences to our clients in the nick of time, as they were. And it is such a lucky feeling that all participants returned home safely and are still safe. I hope everyone takes safety precautions as advised by our governments. In our booking ledger, we had a couple of tours to run from March to August, 80% of them booked for Uganda, and our team was ready to run things as swiftly as we have been doing.

We shared email conversations with all our clients whose trips were booked for the outlined period and discussed how best to go about the situation. We are also still observing the situation with others, hoping the situation improves and see if their tours can continue, we will make adjustments if we all agree that there is no chance at all. We feel so lucky that you have decided to reschedule your tour to a future date and for the patience to observe in hope for better, we offer our heartfelt thanks; our partners in countries of operation, and our staff, are truly grateful. You have given us hope. During this period, please feel free to contact us if you have an urgent query but, otherwise, we ask you to please be patient and stay safe.

At this time, the governments of Uganda and Rwanda our strongholds have put in place stringent measures to keep the countries safe. The wildlife authorities closed the national parks in the effort to save the wild animals. They have issued advisory documents about some compassionate details like paid primate tracking trekking. On both countries, Eastern Gorilla and Chimpanzee trekking permit cancellation policies were relaxed. They made rescheduling possible at no extra cost. For the tours already or yet to be rescheduled, this is good news about the already purchase permits. We shall continue to work from our homes. If you would like to hear from us, hoping that your day might be brightened with a beautiful image or some response about the conditions of the wildlife like the gorillas, please feel free to send us an email or visit our Facebook Page. We will continue to make posts there through these very challenging times. Avian Safaris on Facebook

Thank you so much for keeping us at your hearts even at this time when you must worry about your lives and your loved ones. This is a touching message from Bill to us.

I hope you are doing okay in Uganda. The situation with the coronavirus is dire, and it is likely to become many times worse during the next few months. So far, 10,000 cases have been reported in the United States. The exact number might be much higher. The doctors are estimating that between 80 and 200 million Americans could catch the virus, and going from 10,000 to tens of millions could happen during the next six months. I thought about you, because there are now severe restrictions on travel, even for people who want to. I also think about the conservation efforts that are funded by ecotourism dollars, which will not be coming in from foreign visitors.

Please stay healthy and safe, and I hope that someday, I might be able to take another trip to Uganda when things settle down.

We stand with you and the rest of the world in the battle against an invisible beast. And again, should you feel like to talk about our countries of operation, wildlife and our tours, we will be happy to respond.